Sandstorms in the Sun
by Marsfish
Summary: In a post apocalyptic world, Lucy finds herself exiled to the wastelands. As she fights for everyday survival, her mind is always reminding her of the days she used to be happy. What she doesn't know, is that her best friend is doing his best to try and find her. Will he ever find her? Or will she lose in the fight for her life before he can?
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own Fairy Tail. I wish someone would tell me if that disclaimer matters or not. Sigh.**

* * *

Chapter 1

The world wasn't always this way. At least, that's what they say. They say that the world was once bright and beautiful. That green was flowing over the lands, and water streamed in between. They say water would fall from the sky, and make the soil rich and dark. Animals once freely roamed the earth, creating families and maintaining a circle of life. They say that humans once lived out in the sun, walking, talking in fresh air and living amongst nature side by side.

They say a lot of things, but looking at the world as I am now, it's impossible for me to even grasp such a belief as the past. Now, as I look at the barren ground, as I breath the dry air, and as my mouth feels like cotton. Such a world seems infallible. I try to form pictures in my mind of what such a world would look like, but my mind never seems to want to cooperate with me, almost like it's blasphemous to even try.

I feel a small stab of pain in the nub of my upper arm, and I grab the metal where my arm used to be and grit my teeth. Phantom pains are what they called it. It's like my arm has nightmares of when it died. I sigh as the pain passes and look up into the sky from where I'm sitting underneath a large, barren tree. The naked branches aren't nearly as shady as I would like, but it's better than what I normally find during these scorching hot days. Movement catches my eye, and my muscles tense as I squint my eyes to quickly search for it. A soft gasp escapes my lips as I see what could only be a centipede near my feet. My mouth salivates and my muscles stay frozen, but tense in preparation. As soon as it reveals enough of its body from the earth, I snap forward quickly, and catch it. I smile wide in glee as it squirms in my grip, and place the thumb and forefinger of my metal hand on either side of where the head would be. I squeezed them together until a hear a small pop, and beautiful liquid trails down my metallic limb. A broken laugh escaped my lips as I lift it's still slightly twitching body over my mouth. After the twitching subsides, I drop it into my awaiting mouth, and I sigh happily as it crunches between my teeth, and a burst of bitter flavor falls on my tongue.

In this blissful moment, my mind drifts off to a time when I would eat three meals a day, sleep in a warm bed, and laugh with my friends. I look up into the sky and a thought enters my mind that makes my eyes burn. I wonder what my friends are doing right now. If they were successful and living their dreams. I miss those times. Having fun together, working together, and building each other up for the tests.

I look out to the distance, and I can see the top of the city walls faintly peaking up from the dust. I used to live there, inside those walls. There, I used to be happy. There's no happiness here in the wastelands. Only loneliness, and a fight for survival. I stroke my hand through my long, blonde hair before I heave myself up to go back to my camp. As I walked, my thoughts lingered on my life before.

The place I used to live is called Magnolia, a fortified bunker city. There weren't many of us there, only about thirty teens around my age, and around ten adults. Every one of us had our own jobs. Despite these jobs, everyone had their own specialties. Mine was writing. Once a year, a test would be given out to us, to see if we could prove useful to the kingdom. If you passed, you would be transported to the Capital city, and there you would have a career in service to the better of the kingdom. It was everyone's dream. You could earn money in your trade, and live knowing that no matter how menial your career was, you were benefitting the kingdom in some way. And you would be granted permission to have a family if you so chose.

The fortified bunkers are where us teens were kept, for us to grow in our specialties, so that we may one day find our careers. If you are either worthless, rebellious, incurable, or handicapped, you are exiled to the wastelands; along with the criminals, bandits, and murderers out there. There are about seven bunkers throughout the kingdom. We would work our small jobs, our only real priority, and have fun with our friends. I loved my group of friends. I miss each and every one of them.

Laxus was the first to pass the test. It was sad to see him go, but honestly I was only ten at the time, so I don't fully remember him. I could only wonder what he was doing now. I remember he used the be my big teddy bear, he would always scowl at me, but he would let me snuggle on his lap all the same. I remember him being older than the rest of us.

I sighed as I entered the cave I dubbed my home. Well, it was kind of a cave, I mean, it was a hole in the rockside. It was enough room for me to be comfortable in, anyway. I grabbed the bottle of water I had collected, and took slow careful sips. I didn't drink much, no matter how badly my lungs burned to consume it all. I sighed in delight at the refreshment, and looked at the remaining amount. I caught my reflection in the water, and a frown immediately latched itself onto my lips. I used to have beautiful hair, but now it only grows on half of my head. Light, pink scar tissue covered the left half of my head, while my hair grew on the right. My brown eyes were dull and had bags underneath them, and my skin looked darker than tan from all the dust and dirt from the wastelands. I sighed once more and set the bottle down and planted myself on the roll out bed. I let my mind wander back to my memories as I watched the sun set. The pink hues in the sky reminded me instantly of my best friend, and my eyes burned again. He was the hardest one to lose. My heart will never be the same without him.

* * *

A man with salmon hair stood out on the dying planes of the wastelands. Thick goggles adorned his face as his eyes scanned the area for any kind of sign.

"We have everything we need, Mr. Natsu."

The said man frowned and turned to look at his co-worker. "Let's go back then." His co-worker nodded and they both made their way to the car. His onyx eyes scanned the area one more time, before he stepped inside. ' _Wherever you are, Luce, I'll find you. I promise.'_

* * *

 **Alright, so this idea was swimming in my brain, and I liked it so I wrote it down. Not the best idea to post a new story right now, probably, but I couldn't help it. I never keep my documents on my phone (which is what I use to write my stories), so I always post what I write on here, immediately after writing them. Anyways, these chapters will be about this length, possibly more. I tend to write more when they're shorter, soo yeahh. Anyways, I hope you like it! Please let me know what you think. ;) I love you guys! I will lick my cat for you! Muah!**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"I'm gonna miss you, Erza." A twelve year old Lucy cried as she hugged the poor redhead too tightly.

"Don't be sad, Lucy." She slightly wheezed as she hugged the girl back.

"Luce, you're gonna kill her before she lives her dream." Natsu poked the blonde girl's head.

Lucy flushed and pulled away. "S-sorry, Erza."

"It's alright." She smiled. "Do you still have the weapon I made you?"

"Of course!" She sniffled and pulled out a switchblade, with her name engraved on it, from her pocket. She hugged it to her chest and muttered, "I'll treasure it forever."

A small tear slid down Erza's left cheek as she smiled. "One day, I'll make you an even better one, okay?"

She nodded and smiled. "I'll hold you to that."

"Go be the best blacksmith this kingdom has ever seen." Gray patted the redhead's shoulder affectionately.

"We'll miss you." Wendy cried and she clutched the redhead's leg, who patted her head affectionately.

Erza nodded and squared her shoulders. "Natsu, Gray. Look after the girls." They nodded sharply. "Cana."

"Hmm?" The brunette slurred depressedly.

"Don't drink too much."

"Tch." She crossed her arms and looked away, hiding the tears slipping out of her eyes.

"Levy."

"Y-yes?" Said girl whimpered.

"Don't strain your eyes when you're reading."

She sniffled. "Okay."

Erza smiled once more as she looked over her friends. "Be safe everyone."

"You too, Erza." Everyone chimed as the redhead turned away and stepped onto the train. They all watched as it departed, and they watched as she disappeared from their lives.

Lucy suddenly cried out and her knees gave out. Natsu caught her before she hit the ground, and hugged her to his chest. "It'll be okay, Luce." A silent tear slipping down his own cheek. She shook her head violently against his chest, and he hugged her tighter. "She's gonna have her dream come true."

Her muffled voice shouted across the train platform, "what good is it to have dreams if you can't share them with your friends?!"

They all wore downcast expressions after hearing her words, and Natsu shook his head. "When we all get into the Capitol, we can see each other again. We can live our dreams together."

Her cries died out into sniffles at his words, and she looked up at him with hopeful eyes. "Really?"

He grinned a sad grin down at her. "Of course! We'll always find each other, we're family after all."

* * *

Lucy sighed as she twisted her switchblade in her hand, the memory fading from her mind as she watched the sunlight reflect off the shiny metal. Her fingers gently glided over her name that was inscribed on the blade. "I wonder what you're doing now, Erza." She whispered into the dry wind as she let the sun bask on her face.

She felt a small rumble underneath her feet, and she peered at the ground curiously. She watched as a few dirt pebbles started to shake. When the rumbling turned into a low hum, she looked up to search the area, squinting her eyes to better see in the blazing sun. She could see a small cloud of dust forming out in the distance, and she narrowed her eyes as she tried to ready herself if it turned out to be a sandstorm. Those were nasty occurrences that she desperately tried to always avoid. The trouble was that things weren't always as far away as they seemed in this dessert. The sun made the far sighted ground wavy, and trying to make things out was difficult at a distance.

When dust got a little large, her head tilted curiously when she saw something shiny glint behind it. It took her a moment to piece it together: the rumbling, the low hum, the dust, and the shiny glint. When she figured it out, she gasped, and fearful adrenaline rushed through her body. She took off into a sprint towards the rocks behind her quite a ways. The rocks weren't quite as far as what she was running away from was, but she highly doubted she would make it in time. She pushed all of her strength into her legs, and too soon, she started panting from the hot sun and the dry air. She grunted as she heard it get closer, but she didn't dare look back. Sweat trickled into her eyes, stinging them, as her legs burned at the exertion. She only ran in dire situations, for unnecessarily tiring oneself out in this dessert was never a good idea. She hadn't been in any dire situation lately, which she was grateful for at the time, but right now, she wished she had more stamina.

Her legs felt like they were on fire, and she cursed as they involuntarily started to slow down on her, the noise growing louder as it got nearer. The rocks weren't much farther, if she could get on higher ground, she might have a fighting chance. Suddenly, the vehicle she'd been running from was right behind her, and she started coughing violently as her dry throat and exhaustion started taking over her body. She felt something wrap around her, and she yelped as she was sent crashing to the ground. She was dragged a little ways before the vehicle stopped, and the dust kicked up around them from the sudden stop of the tires. She felt a dull throb on the nub of her left arm, and looked down to see that the pinky finger of her metal arm had bent backwards in her fall. She cursed and tried to wiggle out of the rope around her, but a maniacal laugh had her whole body chilled to the bone, despite the blazing sun.

"We caught ourselves a nice one boys!" A man with bones crafted into jewelry around his arms, neck, and head stepped forward. Two other men, adorned the same way, stepped up next to him as they all grinned down at the frozen girl.

Her heart was beating violently in her chest as they stepped forward, fearing for her life. These men were clearly raiders. They killed, stole, demolished, and captured anything and anyone they wanted. They had no sense of morals, and through their insanity, they preferred life in the wastelands. Possibly because they didn't have to suffer any consequences for their actions out here. There was no one to defy them, no rules to follow. For most exiles like herself, it was a kill or be killed world. But, for some reason, these raiders stuck together, loyal to each other, like packs.

"That's a nice arm you got there, girly. Care if I take it?" They all chuckled as they came closer, the first one holding a rusty machete in his hand.

Sweat trickled down her brow as she struggled to reach her right hand around to her back pocket. She nearly gasped in relief when she grasped the switchblade, and she quickly flicked it out, and cut the ropes around her, scurrying to her feet as they dashed towards her. She nearly avoided the machete as she twirled around, and sidestepped the swing. "Nice blade you got there too, girlie. Saw it glinting in the sun from a distance. It lead us right towards you."

He grinned devilishly, and she silently cursed, she would have to be more careful. She narrowly avoided another man's fist, and she swung her blade, catching him on the arm as she spun, before rolling to avoid the third man's kick. The man cursed, and she crouched, waiting for their next move. They all lunged at her at once, She managed to stab two of them in their sides, but the one with the machete nicked her shoulder blade with it. Not enough to cause too much damage, but enough to sting like hell.

Her knees nearly gave out in her exhaustion, and her vision started getting hazy as she watched the two men she got, crouch down and clutch their sides. She hazily watched as the man with the machete scowled angrily at her and lunged. Spots darted her vision, and she desperately panted for air as she tried to move, but all her limbs felt like they were bolted to the ground.

She stumbled to her knees just as she saw another figure come between her and her attackers, the newcomer's back facing her. She heard a muffled shout of surprise just as her vision started to tunnel. She felt the thud of herself falling to the ground, and she vaguely thought that it was her time to die as her consciousness left her.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Luce! Try this!" An eager Natsu shoved some type of pastry into a fourteen-year-old Lucy's mouth.

"Mmohh, naffhuu!" she shouted through puffed out cheeks as something gooey slid down her chin.

Natsu laughed, "what was that, Luce?"

She glared at him as she wiped her chin, chewing furiously to be able to talk again. Only, she stopped and her eyes widened, sparkling at the delightful taste that burst onto her tongue. Once she swallowed, she gazed at the grinning boy in awe. "What was that?" She breathed before she licked her fingers clean.

"I found some new, edible ingredient in the ground, and Gray made that from it." He beamed proudly. This kind of thing always happened. Sometimes the food he made her try was awful, which was why he would shove them in her mouth, since she usually protested being his guinea pig. Every now and then, though, it would be absolutely amazing, like it was now.

Natsu was always good at finding new materials, and learning new things about the earth and soils in the ground. He was rather good at excavations, but he usually got overlooked, since he hid his findings so him and Gray could create something on their own.

Gray was an okay cook. He was getting better all the time, though. He loved making food, especially experimenting with it, and since Natsu loved eating food so much, and always found some weird ingredient in the ground, they formed a secret partnership with each other. Not so secret to the kids, but everyone kept it from the adults.

"Wow." She muttered as she stared at her now clean hand. "Remind me to tell Gray that that one is a keeper."

"Hell yeah!" Natsu cheered as he grabbed ahold of her wrist. "Let's go tell him right now!"

"Right now?!" She yelped as she was tugged forward, but inevitably wound up laughing as she always did when she was dragged by an excited Natsu. The sound of their footsteps echoed along the metal halls of the facility, and they only laughed harder when a few adults told them to quiet down and stop running.

After they went up a flight of metal stairs, and rounded a few corners, they came across Gray's white washed room. All the rooms were white. No one was allowed to decorate their rooms, in case you were passed to go to the Capitol. They didn't want to waste money repainting and repairing walls. "Yo! Gray!" Natsu shouted as they ran up to Gray, who was reclining on his cot.

"What's up, guys?" He quirked an eyebrow at the panting pair as he raised himself up on his elbows.

"I-I w-want-ted." Lucy started, but she couldn't finish due to her ragged breathing. "Oh God."

"Geeze, Luce. You should work out more." Natsu huffed, but started to laugh when she weakly swatted his arm.

Gray chuckled and shook his head. "Spit it out already."

"Okay." She took a long, deep breath through her nose, and exhaled deeply as she straighten again. "I wanted to tell you that your most recent pastry was amazing!"

Gray beamed at her and hopped up on his feet. "Really?!"

She tilted her head, "you didn't try it?"

He shook his head and glared at a sheepishly grinning Natsu. "He stole the only one I made, saying that he needed to make sure it wasn't poisonous."

Lucy paled and started wailing on her best friend. "Why would you make me try it if you thought it was poisonous?! You idiot! What if I had died?!"

Natsu grunted as her fists continuously hit his chest, and quickly trapped her arms by hugging her. "Stop! Sheesh! You ain't dead, are ya? I wouldn't have really made you try it if it was dangerous! Who do you take me for?"

She scowled at him before she huffed, "fine. You're forgiven."

Natsu grinned and released her. "So, Gray? You think that one's a winner?"

Gray shrugged. "Dunno, I'd have to try it myself."

"I think it was!" Lucy cheered. "It was the best thing I've ever tasted!"

A pink hue dusted Gray's cheeks at her compliment, and he rubbed the back of his head. "Thanks. Next time you find that stuff, let me know, Natsu."

"Sure thing! Make sure I get some credit for it when you pass with it!" Natsu pointed an accusing finger at him.

Gray rolled his eyes. "Where else would I explain where I got the ingredients, idiot."

"Just making sure. " Natsu grumbled, before he took Lucy wrist again. "C'mon, Luce! I'll show you where I found it!"

"W-wait! Natsu! Stop running so fast!"

* * *

Her skin prickled as her mind regained consciousness. All of her nerves felt fuzzy, and her throat felt like she was trying to swallow razorblades. A weak and crackly groan left her lips as pain suddenly laced itself in all of her nerve endings.

"Oh, good. You're awake!"

Her sore muscles tensed at the soft voice, and she tried desperately to crack her eyes open. It took her a moment, but she finally managed, and winced as the bright light of a fire shot pain to the backs of her eyes. She blinked a few time, and when her eyes adjusted enough, she darted her gaze around to find the source of the voice. When she found it, it wasn't what she was expecting. A beautiful woman, with short, dirt matted hair, and kind brown eyes was smiling sweetly at her. "Would you like some water?" Lucy slowly nodded, her precautions of safety quickly forgotten at the mention of the life liquid. She stood up and grabbed a flask, and knelt back down next to Lucy. "Try to sit up, slowly."

Lucy did as the woman suggested, and if it wasn't for the assistance of the woman, she doubted that she would've been able to sit up at all. All of her muscles were screaming to lay back down, and her limbs were shaky as she reached to grab the flask that was handed to her. Once the refreshing liquid hit her tongue, she greedily tried to drink as much as she could. She didn't bother with the thought of saving portions.

"Easy now." The woman chided as she took the flask away before Lucy, who gave a small whine of protest, could drink it all. "You suffered from a nasty heat stroke. Drinking too much at once will make you sick."

"W-who are you?" Lucy cringed at the pain in her throat.

"My name is Yukino. What's yours?" She smiled.

"Lucy." She croaked. God, her voice sounded like an old woman. "Why are you helping me?"

Yukino smiled sadly. "I wasn't going to. I was trying to avoid getting near the raiders, but I saw you, and you looked so determined to win. I just couldn't let you die. I don't know why, but I felt like I could trust you. That maybe we could help each other out. You're eyes, though they held a fierce determination, I could also see a kindness and honesty in them. I could tell you were a kind person, thrust into this life unexpectedly, like me. Maybe it was a false hope, or maybe my loneliness getting to me, but I felt drawn to you. I felt that we might get along well. I mean, the raiders band together, so why can't we?"

Lucy was taken back at the honesty in this woman's eyes. It had been such a long time since she'd spoken to someone as kind as her. She couldn't explain it, but she felt it too, the feeling that she could trust this woman. If she wasn't so dehydrated, tears would have fell from her eyes, but instead, her eyes just burned. Her lips slowly moved into a small smile as she looked into Yukino's bright, hopeful eyes. "T-thank you."

"Of course!" Yukino beamed and held out a hand towards her. "Friends?"

Lucy grinned and put her shaky hand in her's. "Friends."

* * *

 **Bet you thought it was Natsu ,huh? ;) That would have been cool, but I hope you like it anyways! I love you guys! Muah!**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Look, big sis! I caught a bug!" Wendy shouted as she ran up to a fifteen-year-old Lucy.

"Ooo, it's so ugly!" She beamed excitedly at the worm-like creature slithering across the young girl's palm. "What is it?"

"I dunno!" Wendy giggled excitedly. "His name is Gary!"

"Gary?" Lucy scrunched her eyebrows together. "Shouldn't he have an uglier name? Like Chad? Or Bob?"

"Why would you name a worm, Bob?" Natsu asked as he peered over Lucy's shoulder.

Lucy puffed her cheeks out. "Why would you name it Gary?"

"Gary's a fine name for a worm." He shrugged.

"How do you know it's even a worm?" Lucy crossed her arms under her chest.

"Well, it looks like one."

"Just because it looks like one, doesn't mean it is."

"Well fine then, smartypants! What do you think it is?" Natsu huffed.

"I don't know what it is!"

"What are they arguing about, now?" Cana sighed as she draped her arm around Wendy's shoulder.

"U-um...Uh." Wendy could only stare blankly at the two who were arguing about basically nothing. Neither her, nor Cana noticed the worm-like creature crawling up Cana's arm and towards her exposed cleavage.

She felt a tickling sensation, and looked down to see small, beady eyes looking up at her from the crevasse of her breasts. "Wahhhh!" She flailed her arms out, startling everyone present, and tried in vain to swat it away. "Get it off me!"

"What's happening?" Natsu tilted his head as he watched his flailing friend freak out.

"Huh?" When Cana dipped down to furious swipe at her boobs, Wendy saw what was squished in there. "Oh no! Cana, stop moving!"

Can hesitantly stop and tears ran down her face. "Get it out!"

"Watcha doin in there, Gary?" Natsu asked the creature as he stuck his hand in, ignoring Cana's yelp, and pulled it out. He flinched when he was swatted on the arm, and turned to glare at Lucy. "What was that for?"

"You don't just stick your hand in places like that!" She yelled with a red face.

"But she told me to get it out!" He shouted in exasperation.

"Ugh! You're an idiot, Natsu!"

"Why are you so mean to me?" He huffed as he handed Wendy Gary back, to which she murmured a quiet "thank you."

"I'm not mean!"

"Yeah you are!

Cana sighed, "I need a drink." She waved at Wendy, and glared at Gary, before she sauntered off.

"Uh...guys?" Wendy tentatively spoke up, effectively grabbing the attention of the bickering pair.

"What's wrong, Wendy?" Lucy asked, forgetting her argument when she took note of Wendy's nervous demeanor.

"I have some news." she muttered as she lightly stroked the worm-like creature, who was...purring.

"What is it?" Natsu tilted his head.

"W-well...I...I passed." She looked up at them with nervous eyes as the pair in front her went rigid with shock.

"O-oh." Lucy whispered, swallowing thickly. "When do you leave?"

"Tomorrow."

All the air rushed out of Lucy's lungs as she stared disbelieving at the girl she thought of as a little sister. She chanced a glance at the surprisingly silent Natsu, and she could see the internal anguish in his eyes, before he blinked it away and cracked a grin. "Congrats, Wendy!" He lunged and pulled her into a big hug, causing the girl to wheeze out a breath.

Lucy shakily stepped forward and joined the hug. "You're going to be the best healer they've ever seen, Wendy." She whispered into the girl's hair.

"Thanks, big sis." The girl whispered as her lower lip trembled.

* * *

"That looks delicious."

Lucy's head jerked up in surprise to see Yukino sitting down next to her under a dead tree. She looked back to the decent sized worm wiggling between her forefinger and thumb, and shook her head. "It looks nutritious, not delicious."

Yukino giggled and pulled out her flask from her pouch. "Well, if it's nutritious, then it's delicious to me."

Lucy shook her head, "you're very optimistic aren't you?"

Yukino hummed. "Not usually." When Lucy raised an eyebrow, she continued. "I guess I'm just happy now that I've got a friend." She gently nudged Lucy's shoulder with her own.

Lucy let out a husky giggled, since her throat wasn't completely mended yet. She held the worm out towards her new friend. "You should have it, then."

Yukino shook her head and pushed her arm back. "You need it more than I do. You still need to recover."

Lucy sighed and held the wriggling worm over her lips. "I'll make it up to you."

Yukino smiled as she watched Lucy's face scrunch up as she ate the worm. "No need. Having a friend with me is more than enough."

After successfully swallowing without retching, Lucy looked over at Yukino's reminiscent face as she stared into the sky. "How long has it been for you."

She jumped out of her memories, and looked over with a sad smile. "A year."

Lucy mouth dropped open in shock. "A year?"

She nodded and handed Lucy her flask. "How about you?"

Lucy took a small sip of the refreshing liquid and sighed. "Six months."

Yukino hummed and they both looked out over at the sun peeking over the distant, desert hills. "We should probably start moving."

"Why?" Lucy tilted her head.

"The raiders know we're here. They'll come back, eventually. I doubt we'll have a chance against them."

Lucy sighed and looked behind her at the cave she's called home for the last month or so. It was the nicest one she'd come across, and she really didn't want to leave behind. "Yeah. You're right."

Yukino patted Lucy's knee and stood up, offering her hand. "If we head out soon, we should be able to cover a lot of ground before nightfall."

Lucy grasped her hand and let her pull her up. Her muscles still ached all over, so doing anything was a struggle. They strolled back to her cave, and they started packing up everything, which wasn't much. She rolled up her bed, and buckled it's clasps to the top of her backpack. She grabbed the two journals she had, and the three flasks of water, and put them inside. She had a small lighter that was out of fuel, and a few articles of clothing that were more like rags now. She grabbed a small box full of small stones and rare flowers, and stuffed it inside. Once everything was packed up, she pulled the straps of her backpack over her shoulders and turned to the waiting Yukino. "I'm ready."

Yukino smiled and nodded. She glanced at the bent metal finger and walked forward to tentatively poke it. "Does it hurt?"

Lucy looked down and shrugged. "It did when it happened, but only because it pulled on where it's attached to my arm. It's fine now, though, just useless."

Yukino hummed. "Maybe we can find a small market. They might have a blacksmith there."

"I haven't come across one yet."

Yukino laughed. "Well, you haven't moved around much, have you?"

Lucy shrugged with a small smile. "I guess not."

"Well, let's get going!" Yukino smiled and grabbed Lucy's real hand, shocking the blonde.

Slowly, a small smile that was foreign to her formed on her lips, and she nodded. "Yeah. Let's go." They began their walk out into the vast desert, and Lucy looked back behind her at her cave. She sighed as she looked back in front of her. She doubted she would find a home as nice as that one for a while. It was a nice stability in her life. But like all things, it didn't last. Her lips formed into a frown at that thought, and looked down at the joined hands of her and Yukino. She could only hope that this new friendship did.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"Why so glum, Natsu?" A fifteen year old Lucy chirped as she sat next to the boy who was perched on the roof of one of the buildings.

He looked up, startled by her presence, before he looked back towards the giant wall that surrounded the facility. He clasped his hands together on his lap, and muttered quietly, "no reason, Luce. Don't worry."

She creased her eyebrows in worry as she took in his sad eyes and slumped shoulders. She reached over and grabbed his hand in hers, entwining their fingers together, and gave his hand a small squeeze. "You know you can tell me anything, Natsu." She whispered as she laid her head on his shoulder.

He sighed and rested his cheek on the top of her head, his thumb rubbing small circles on her hand as he formulated his thoughts. They sat in silence for a bit, before he whispered, "I didn't pass."

Her lips twitched slightly. "I didn't either, it's okay."

A small chuckle spilled from his lips. "I already knew you didn't."

Despite the humor in his voice, she couldn't help but frown and lower her gaze at his words. She had only just recently decided on a specialty, but she wasn't very good at it. She always got chastised and berated during the tests, them warning her that if she didn't improve, she could be deemed useless when she was older, which meant exile. She never told her friends about the warnings though, she only would say that she didn't pass.

Natsu craned his head around to look at her when she didn't respond, and he sighed softly and pressed his lips to her golden hair. "Sorry, Luce. I didn't mean it like that."

"It's fine. Everyone knows that I'm useless. I'll never make it to the Capitol."

His eyes hardened and he gripped her chin to look at him. "Don't say that! You've found your specialty, haven't you? So, don't give up! Never give up! I know you can do it, Luce. You just have to believe in yourself."

A small tear slipped from her eye, and she wrapped her arms around him, him doing the same as she swung her legs to lay over his crossed ones. "Can I tell you something that I probably shouldn't?"

He chuckled and squeezed her shoulders. "You know that just makes me wanna know what it is."

She giggled and slightly ran her nose along his chest. "I want you to live your dream more than anything, you know that, right?"

He smiled and rested his chin on the top of her head. "I know."

"But I'm such a selfish person."

"How so?" He asked as he ran his fingers through her golden tresses.

She sniffled lightly. "Because, every time you say you didn't pass, it makes me happy." He stopped his motions and looked down at her head in confusion. "It means that you won't be leaving me. I don't know what I would do if you left me, Natsu. And we both know that you'll pass way before I do. Every year, it scares me. I don't want you to go."

A small tear slipped out of his own eye, and he buried his face in her hair as he squeezed her tighter to him. "Then work hard so you can come with me. I don't want to leave you either, Luce."

She nodded against his chest. They both sat there for a long time, holding onto each other for fear of ever being separated.

* * *

"Is that it?" Lucy asked as she looked at a few black spots in-between two large rocks. It was hard to make out in the distance.

"Looks like it! Ooo, I hope they have a shirt!" Yukini clapped her hands together and grinned in glee.

Lucy chuckled "Yeah, and maybe it'll be sold by your Prince charming."

Yukino's pouted as she was pushed forward. "You're no fun. If they have just one shirt, I'm taking it."

Lucy shook her head and linked their arms together, "well, if I'm wrong, then you deserve it."

Yukino's grinned. "Let's go then!"

Lucy could only laugh along with her as they skipped towards what they assumed was a market. Despite the heat, and the burning in her lungs, she couldn't stop laughing. It was so ridiculous, and so foreign, but it made her heart fill with joy. Too soon for her liking, they neared what was now clearly, a small market. They stopped and clutched their knees as they regained their breathing. It was a short run, but her lungs burned. Slowly, she turned her head to an equally painting Yukino, and they both giggled when they locked eyes. She straightened back up and tilted her head back, breathing in and out deeply and wiping her forehead. "We're here."

"Yeah!" Yukino grinned. "I'm gonna get that shirt!"

Lucy giggled and started walking again. The market was small, there were about eight booths set up in the natural indentations of the rockside. "Hello there, yongue travelers!" She looked over to see an old man grinning at them. He then beckoned them over. "Come! Come!" She stole a glance at Yukino and she shrugged, walking over to the man's booth. "I've got a very nice cloth you girls could use." She watched as Yukino's eyes bugged out of her head as the man held up a long piece of white cloth.

"Ooh! Yes! Yes! Is there anything in particular you would want for it?" Yukino asked excitedly.

"Let me see what you have dear, then we can make a deal."

Yukino nodded and rummaged through her pack. In the end, she traded a tiny leather pouch, and some kind of stone for the cloth. "What did I tell you~!" She sang as they walked away.

Lucy laughed. "Alright, fine. And you deserve it."

Yukino giggled. "Oh, look!" Lucy followed her finger to a man with black hair pulled into a ponytail and piercings all over his face. He looked like he was working on something with metal tools. "It's a blacksmith! C'mon!"

Lucy could only stare as she was dragged over to the slightly terrifying man. He looked up with a raised eyebrow as they approached, and he stopped what he was doing, leaned back and crossed his arms. "What have we got here?"

Yukino shoved her shoulder, and she cleared her throat. "You're a blacksmith, right?"

The man rolled his eyes. "No, I'm a flower shop."

Lucy puffed out her cheeks in annoyance and Yukino giggled. "Can you fix this?" She asked as she stuck out her bionic arm.

His eyes widened and he grabbed it, making her shriek as he pulled her forward. "Whoa. I've only ever seen one of these before." Lucy frowned as she watched him poke and prod at the bent pinky. "Messed it up pretty good didn't you?"

She huffed in annoyance at this man. "So, can you fix it or not?"

He raised an amused studded eyebrow at her, and leaned back again. "Yeah I can fix it."

Her eyes brightened hopefully. "Really?" He nodded, and she grinned and squealed slightly.

"It aint gunna be cheap though, Bunny-girl."

She frowned at him. "What did you call me?"

He smirked at her. "You heard me."

She then pouted. "I'm not a bunny."

"Ya sure look like one."

"So, what do you want in exchange?" Yukino decided to intervene.

He then grinned at them, making Lucy shrink back a little. "Empty yer pockets." And their eyes proceeded to pop out of their heads.

* * *

 **Thank you guys so much for your love and support! :) I really like this story so far, and I'm glad you guys like it too :) ill lick my cat for you! Muah!**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The extent of their pockets was two arrowheads, four plant stems, a small chain, and few torn pieces of cloth. Thankfully, he didn't take their water, or the few dead bugs they would be eating later. They sat down, and watched as he heated up a piece of metal in the fire behind him. Once it was heated, he grabbed her metal hand and put it on the table.

"So where are you girls headed?" He asked as he placed the hot metal on her bent pinkie.

She cringed at the sound of the sizzle. "Is anyone really headed anywhere out here?"

He looked at her as he lifted the the metal, and grabbed a knife. "You've got a point." He pressed the knife against the heated pinkie. She watched as the knife sunk in like butter. "So, assuming you're both exiles, where'd ya get exiled from?"

Lucy narrowed her eyes. Why would he want to know? Would there be any harm in telling him? She doubted it would matter.

"I was exiled from Sabertooth." Yukino said from beside them.

Gajeel raised his eyebrows. "Heard a lot of things about that place."

She smiled ruefully. "I'm sure they're all true."

He grunted as he pulled off the pinkie completely. Lucy looked at it, and was surprised at how clean of a cut it was. It could rival Erza. "So, what about you, Bunny-girl?"

She jumped from her thoughts, and looked into Gajeel's curious red eyes. "Oh, umm." She took a deep breath. "I was exiled from Magnolia."

His eyebrows raised as he started heating up the removed pinkie. "Didn't think Magnolia exiled people. You're the first I've met."

Lucy sighed in both disappointment and relief. "How about you?"

He chuckled darkly. "You girls ever heard of Phantom Lord?"

Yukino's eyes widened. "The cult that tried to overthrow the Capitol?"

"Wouldn't say we were a cult, but yeah. We were all exiled after that. Don't know where the rest of em are, but hell, that was years ago." He bent the pinkie into a normal position, and let it sit to cool.

Yukino's eyes were wide as she stared at him, but Lucy didn't really think it mattered. "It doesn't really matter who we were before this."

They both stared at her, and Gajeel leaned his arms on the table. "It doesn't matter where you are or where you came from, but who you are is who you are. If you can't accept that, then you may as well just lay down and die."

Lucy met his stare evenly. "Who we are doesn't make a difference as long as we can stay alive."

"But you can't stay alive if you're defeated about who are. Unless you can stand proud and know what you stand for, just hand me your death waver right now." He grinned and stretched out his hand.

"None of that matters out here." She rolled her eyes.

He glared at her and leaned forward. "Sure, you can go by day to day and fight for your survival without a damn clue out here. But how far are you gonna get? How long until you bite the dust? Without a goal in mind, you ain't livin', yer just waiting to die."

She blinked at him as he leaned back to look at the pinkie. "So, what's your goal?"

He smirked at her. "That's confidential, Bunny-girl."

She huffed and shared a look with Yukino. This guy had clearly been out here for a long time. Before she could say anything else, however, and explosion rocked the market site. Lucy barely heard Gajeel's shout as she fell out of the chair, her ears ringing. She felt someone tug on her arm, and she looked up with slightly blurry vision at Yukino's scared face. She saw her mouth something, but she couldn't make it out. She shook her head, and slowly got back up, wincing and clutching her head. She coughed as smoke filled her lungs, and her eyes burned as she tried looking around. She saw a few flashed of light in the smoke, and she heard shouting.

Her and Yukino crawled over to crouch behind a few rocks, trying to make themselves as small as possible. After a few minutes, they could see a dark figure approaching them from within the smoke. They both tensed and grabbed each other's hands. The figure for closer, and they both held their breaths in fear, their eyes wide, and their muscles tensing to run.

A man stumbled out from the smoke next to them, coughing and cringing as he rose to his knees. "G-gajeel?" Lucy cried as she reached out to him.

"Damn!" Gajeel cursed as he looked at them. He then grabbed both of their arms and help them and himself stand up. "C'mon! We gotta get outta here!"

Some high-ringing laughter sounded near them, followed by another explosion. "What's going on?!" Yukino shouted.

"It's raiders! Now, move!" Gajeel shouted, pushing them both forward.

Lucy cursed, and stumbled a bit as she tried to catch her breath. The smoke wasn't helping anything, and she knew her head was bleeding. She ran forwards anyways, no clue where to go. She looked to her left as Gajeel ran beside her, and she realized she would have to trust him. She didn't know where to go, but by the look in his eyes, he did. So, with a look at Yukino, she decided to put her trust in him, and followed him away from the chaos. Despite the burning in her lungs and legs, she breathed a sigh of relief when they were far enough away.

Gajeel kept them close to the rockside as they ran, he was smart and experienced, she realized. She looked up ahead as they left the cover of the rockside, and she nearly groaned at the sight of the barren desert that stretched across them. He steered them to the side, away from some dirt tire tracks, and they kept running.

It seemed like they ran for miles before Lucy's legs decided to give out on her. She landed with a thud, watching with a dazed mind as they both stopped and turned around. "Lucy!" Yukino shouted as she crouched down next to her.

"Her head's bleeding." Gajeel mused as he crouched down as well.

"Lucy, can you hear me?" Yukino asked as she shook her slightly. "We have to keep moving."

Lucy groaned, but made no other effort to move or acknowledge them. Her vision was starting to tunnel, and she knew she'd be unconscious soon.

Gajeel lifted her into his arms, and grunted. "We can't stop. Keep going, girlie."

Yukino put her hand on Lucy's forehead and sighed. "Yeah, let's go."

Lucy could barely register the pounding of Gajeel's footsteps before she blacked out.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

An eleven-year-old Lucy whimpered as Wendy poured alcohol over the cut on her hand. "Sorry, Lucy." Wendy whispered as she wiped off the excess blood.

"Just squeeze my hand, kiddo." Cana said as she grabbed the crying girl's hand, cringing as the girl squeezed her hand tight.

"Aw, c'mon, Luce." Natsu strolled up with a baseball bat swung over his shoulder. "Don't be a wimp."

"Shut up, Natsu!" Gray shouted. "You're the wimp! The only reason she got hurt was because you chucked the ball too far!"

"Oi! Luce is strong, she can handle it. Besides, you're the biggest wimp of all!" Natsu shouted back.

Lucy couldn't help but giggle through her tears as they started a swordfight with their bats. Cana sighed as she rubbed soothing circles on Lucy's hand with her thumb. "Honestly, those two are worse than feral cats."

"I think they're funny." Wendy giggled, and Lucy nodded her head as she giggled too. "All done!"

"Thanks, Wendy!" Lucy cheered as she released Cana's hand and stretched out her other injured one. "You're an amazing healer."

"Yeah." Cana smirked as Wendy blushed. "There's no doubt that you'll the best healer in the whole country."

Wendy sputtered as she pressed her forefingers together. "W-well I don't know about that."

"We all believe in you, Wendy." Lucy smiled, making the little girl reciprocate it.

"And what do you think you're doing?" A chilling, authoritative voice ringed through their ears, making them all freeze.

"E-erza!" Natsu and Gray both shouted as their bats were frozen mere inches away from their faces.

"Are you two fighting?!

"N-no! Of course not!" They both shouted with nervous smiles, hugging each other tightly. "We're best friends!"

"Good to hear." Erza crossed her arms with a smile. "I would hate for either of you to be responsible for Lucy's tears."

Lucy couldn't control her giggles, Wendy and Cana both joining her giggle fit. Her friends were a tad crazy, but she loved them all the more for it.

* * *

Lucy groaned when she felt something wet touch her forehead. She opened her mouth as she realized whatever it was, was wet, meaning water. She cringed as she tried to open her eyes. She could feel her blood pumping through every vein in her body. Feeling something touch her arm, she reluctantly cracked an open to see Yukino's concerned eyes boring into hers.

"Hey, Lucy." She smiled softly. "It's about time you woke up."

Suddenly, memories of the night before ran through her, and she gasped, trying to sit up but failing miserably. "What happened?" She winced at her croaky voice as Yukino helped her sit it.

"You collapsed, and Gajeel carried you." She smiled as she looked over at something. "We're really lucky we ran into him."

Lucy followed her gaze, to see Gajeel sitting on the edge of the small rock enclosure they were in, sharpening what looked like a knife. "He carried me?"

"Mhm." Yukino hummed as she dug through her bag, and pulled out a flask. Handing it to Lucy, she smiled. "He seems like a genuine person. It makes me feel terrible."

"Why's that?" Lucy croaked as she gratefully accepted the water, humming as it hit her tongue.

"Because." Yukino's eyes saddened as she looked back at the man. "He knew all of the people in that market. They were friends. It must have been hard running like that."

Lucy looked at him, her eyebrows furrowing. "Why would he choose to save us over his friends?"

Yukino shrugged, averting her eyes when the man looked back at them. Her voice lowered to a whisper. "Maybe he considers us friends too."

Lucy shook her head slightly. "I doubt it." They had just met, it wouldn't make sense.

"Yer finally up, Bunny-girl." Gajeel gruffly observed as he sat next to her.

Lucy huffed. "Sticking with that name, I see. Seriously, what part of me reminds you of a bunny?"

He smirked. "Everything."

She stared at him, he stared back. Her lips pursed, his smirk widened. Her eyes narrowed, his glinted in challenge. After a full minute, she gave up with a sigh. "Whatever." She ignored his weird laugh of "gihi" and Yukino's giggle as she scanned their surroundings. "Where are we?"

"We ran west." Gajeel answered as he starter sharpening his knife again. "I heard tire tracks head north last night, so we should keep head west." He then pointed with his knife out towards two sand hills in the distance. "I know there's a trader's camp over there. Never dealt with 'em directly before, but they got supplies. That's all that matters."

Lucy looked at Gajeel in surprise. "You don't want to go back?"

He look at her weirdly. "Why would I wanna go back?"

"Don't you want to see if anyone survived?"

Gajeel huffed through his nose. "There weren't."

Lucy frowned. "Then, we should bury them."

He looked at her in surprise, before he ruffled the half of her head that had hair. "Thanks, but no point in risking our own lives for ones that are already gone."

"True, but..." Lucy paused to take another sip of water. "If we're gonna be going to another market, we're gonna need things to actually trade. There might be some things that the raiders didn't get, or just some rubble that could be used as material."

"That's smart, Lucy." Yukino patted her on the back.

Gajeel just stared at her. He knew what she was doing, she was making a logical excuse for him to put his friends to rest. His chest swelled at her gesture, and he sighed. "It could be dangerous."

"Just living out here is dangerous, Gajeel." She instantly retorted. "Besides, the raiders are probably far gone by now."

He grunted. "Then I guess we're going back."

"Good."

"So, how are you feeling now?" Yukino asked as she peered at Lucy's face.

"A bit dizzy and I feel like I weigh a ton, but I'll live." Lucy smiled at Yukino, then blinked when Gajeel grabbed her metal hand.

"Too bad I couldn't fix this for ya." He prodded where the pinkie used to be.

Lucy shrugged, "Not your fault." She then hissed when he prodded where the skin was attatched to the metal. "Watch it!"

He glared at red spot on her skin. "It's gonna get infected soon. The impact from when you bent the pinky jostled the joint point in your arm."

Lucy sighed. "Great." Infection only meant one thing out here, death.

"We'll find something for it at the trader's camp, right Gajeel?" Yukino sent him a look with her eyes, one that promised death if he didn't agree with her.

He cleared his throat. "Uh, yeah of course. Don't worry 'bout it, Bunny."

Lucy rolled her eyes, she wasn't stupid. "Well, let's get going while the sun's out."

Gajeel chuckled while they all stood up. "If you feel fallin' over, I'll carry you. You can be my very own Bunny-girl backpack."

Lucy swatted his arm. "You're not funny."

"I think he's kinda funny." Yukino giggled behind her hand.

Lucy rolled her eyes at Gajeel's smug look. "Only as funny as an iron pole can be."

"They can be funny, depending on how you use 'em."

"Oh, shut up. You're not funny!"

* * *

 **Thanks for all the support, guys! I know it's kind of an "outlandish" story...ha ha  
This story isn't as well received as my other stories, so it's slightly discouraging. I guess that's why it takes me a little while to update. But, I still love this story, and I appreciate those of you who do ;} And my cat has been licked for you. There ya go.**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

A seventeen-year-old Lucy couldn't stop her tears no matter how hard she tried. She wasn't the only one. She clung to Gray, and he clung to her. She didn't want to say goodbye. He was her older brother, a part of her family, and he was leaving. "I'm so proud of you." She brokenly whispered, and she swallowed the whimper that wanted to leave her when he squeezed her tighter. He placed a kiss on the side of her head as he pulled back and cupped her face in his hands.

"You're gonna be joining me soon, so don't be sad, okay?" Despite his words, his tears kept falling. Lucy's lower lip tremble as she nodded, her eyes memorizing every inch of his face one last time. He released her and turned to the pink haired man next to her. He pulled him in for a rough hug. "Take care of her, you idiot."

Natsu gritted his teeth, trying to keep his falling tears at bay. "Who the hell do you think I am?" Gray took a step back and swung his bag over his shoulder. "Just take care of your damn self."

"Tch. I take care of myself better than you." Gray looked at Lucy, and pulled her in for one last hug. He kissed her forehead before he backed away a final time. "I'll see you soon."

As soon as Gray was out of sight, Lucy flung herself into Natsu's arms. She clutched onto his shirt as she sobbed, her heart felt like it had stopped beating. Natsu's arms wrapped tight around her as he buried his face in her hair, his own tears dampening her golden locks. They only had each other now. One by one, they had watched their friends leave them behind. As Lucy clutch onto him for dear life, she felt like she was going to lose him too. There was no way she would be able to handle it. He was the only thing keeping her breathing right then. To lose him too, would steal her will to live. So, she clutched onto him for fear of losing the only thing she had left.

* * *

Lucy's breathing was becoming haggard as she trekked with the others across the desert. The night before, they had made it to the ruined marketplace. They had found a few charred bodies, and buried them properly, allowing Gajeel to have some peace of mind. She said a few words on their behalf, which she could tell Gajeel was thankful for. They had been lucky in finding a few odd things here and there that would be good for trading. She knew that made Gajeel happy, he didn't want that trip to have been just for him. They had rested there for the night, and now they were crossing the desert to get to the trader's camp.

The sun was unbearable, and their water supply was dwindling, forcing them to take smaller rations. She was trailing slight behind the other two, her footsteps becoming heavier and heavier. As she looked at them, she felt almost inadequate. They were stronger than she was. She was weak, she had proven that by passing out last time, and she was almost sure she was about to do it again. How were they able to keep going the way they were? How were they not as affected by the heat as she was?

She wasn't surprised when it happened, but it sucked all the same. Her legs gave out, and she felt to the dust with an 'oomph'. The two in front of her stopped immediately, and Yukino came running towards her.

"Lucy?! Oh, God. You should have said something!"

Lucy waved off her words. "Don't bother worrying about me, Yuki. You two should just get going. I'm only going to hold you down, possibly get you killed."

To her surprise, Gajeel growled as he knelt down and glared at her. "The hell kinda talk is that?! Do you wanna die? Is that it?!"

Lucy sighed as a waved of dizziness swept over her. "What else am I gonna do?"

Gajeel gritted his teeth as he balled his fist in her shirt, pulling her towards him. "Well, you better think of something real quick, or I'm gonna beat the shit out of you!"

"Gajeel!"

"There's no point." Lucy sighed again. "It's clear that I'm the weakest link. I don't want to drag you down. You two are so strong, there's no point in getting yourselves killed just because I can't keep up."

Gajeel slowly lowered her back down. "What the hell kind of life is worth living, if you have to sacrifice your friends in order to get ahead? That's bullshit. Think all that survival of the fittest crap all ya want, but I know the truth. It's not how strong you are, it's about the strength you find from your friends. You gotta learn to lean on others, then you know you can be leaned on in return. We can all help each other live."

"He's right, Lucy." Yukino smiled. "It's not about where you go, it's about how you get there." She extended her hand. "Now come on. I know you've still got some strength left."

Lucy felt tears burn in the backs of her eyes as she accepted her hand. She didn't know how she had managed to find such good people out here. She must be the luckiest person in the universe. She could be strong for them; she would be strong with them. "Alright."

"Atta girl." Gajeel clapped her on the back as she stood back up, almost knocking her on her feet again. "We ain't got that much further anyways. You'll make it."

"I'll be on the lookout for cacti." Yukino chirped, letting Lucy lean on her arm as they started walking again. "I really want to chop one in half. It's been a while since I've used a machete."

"When did you ever use a machete?" Lucy raised her eyebrow. They had only come across weapon last night, some rather good ones too.

Yukino giggled. "I used to be great at slicing watermelons in half. Someone would throw one, and I would chop it in the air. It's fantastic! The most fun I've ever had!"

Gajeel grinned. "Looks like I'll have to throw a cactus at you."

"You should. I haven't played that game in a while." Yukino smile wistfully, no doubt thinking of the past memory. "You should join me, Lucy."

"Uh, no way." Lucy mumbled. "I had a hard enough time playing baseball, I'm not doing it with a damn cactus."

Yukino shrugged. "Suit yourself."

"Like you would be able to hit it anyways." Gajeel snickered.

Lucy knew he was right, but that didn't stop her from glaring at him. "I know for a fact that I could hit you."

He grinned in challenge. "I'd like to see you try."

Lucy grumbled, before she sighed. "Maybe later." She ignored his victorious cackle as she focused on putting one foot in front of the other.

* * *

 **Thank you guys so much for your encouragement. I'm excited that this chapter was easy to write. and it flowed out of me like a river. That's usually not the case. For those of you who might be confused, the parts where certain people leave in Lucy's past are not set in order, that's why I tell what age she is, so you can piece the timeline together on your own. Nanami B asked what happened to Erza and Wendy. And Erza left in chapter 2, and it was implied that Wendy would be leaving, but I didn't write that scene out yet. Those scenes are sporadic, so I hope I'm not confusing you guys too much. Hopefully her age will be able to tell you where the timeline is at. If not, then sorry, I got nothing else to offer you.**

 **Thanks again! I love you guys! Muah!**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The flames of the single candle made light dance across Natsu's face. He smiled warmly at the now nineteen-year-old blonde as he presented his cupcake to her under their makeshift fort. "Happy Birthday, Luce."

Her smile somehow made the candlelight seem brighter. "You remembered."

He scoffed at her. "I've never forgotten your birthday."

She giggled. "Yes you have. Remember my eleventh birthday? You thought I was crying about my baseball bat."

He rolled his eyes. "Fine. One. I forgot one birthday."

"It's okay, I forgive you, because this cupcake looks delicious." She smirked as she tried to get some frosting with her finger, but he moved it out of the way.

"Aw, c'mon! You gotta blow out the candle first."

She giggled, sitting back on her heels and putting her hands in her lap. "I'm ready, Natsu."

He chuckled, shifting closer so that he could look into her eyes with the candle between their lips. "Make a wish, Luce."

She hummed as she closed her eyes, unaware of the way Natsu was looking longingly at her lips. After a moment, she opened her eyes, smiling softly at him. "Okay."

The way the candlelight glistened off her eyes, made him feel like the air was stolen from his lungs. When his voice came out, he could only make it a whisper. "Did you make a wish?"

"Mhm." She nodded as she hummed.

He lifted the candle up a little higher. "Then make it come true."

She leaned forward slightly and gently blew out the candle, her breath fanning over Natsu's face in a gentle caress as their only light went out.

Natsu flicked on a small lantern and grinned. "So, whatdya wish for?"

"Nuh-uh. It won't come true if I tell you." She wagged her finger at him, then dipped it in the frosting to smear it on his face.

"Hey!" She just laughed at him, so he took the candle out of the cupcake, and proceeded to stick it up her nose.

"Natsu!" He doubled over laughing while she scrambled to get it and the frosting out of her nose. "The hell!" she smacked him on the back of the head.

His laughter calmed down to chuckles as he rubbed where she had smacked him. "Happy birthday, Luce."

She shook her head and smiled. "Idiot." He just grinned, holding out the cupcake as a piece offering. They both took a bite and hummed at the delicious flavor.

* * *

"Ooo it's so pretty." Yukino cooed as they stood in front of the trader's camp. Small tents were visible in the background, thin, metal tables and canopies set up in small rows. Small lanterns lined the tops of the canopies, making the lights bounce of the metal, making it look like twinkling stars.

"Yeah…it's beautiful." Lucy breathed, Gajeel grunting in agreement. It had been so long since any of them had seen anything that looked so calming…so peaceful. It sent a painful reminder in her chest that today was her twentieth birthday. The lights just reminded her too much of candles.

"Well, let's go!" Yukino giggled, pulling Lucy's arm. She laughed, Gajeel chuckling as they entered the breathtaking camp.

The first thing they did was find a stall that had cloth, trading some parts from the wreckage. Lucy had to trade a small knife for a pen to write with; apparently those were few and far between. The girls giggled and thoroughly enjoyed themselves, considering they were shopping. Once they'd obtained everything they immediately needed, Gajeel stopped at a small table. There was nothing on the table, just a girl sitting behind it with brown hair, tied off to the side, and a red sash wrapped around her body. "Does today bear good fortune?"

The woman looked up at Gajeel's baritone voice. "Only if you allow It to."

The girls looked at Gajeel curiously as he dug through his pockets, pulling out a small, round stone.

The woman accepted his gift, and gestured to the few chairs behind the table. "Come, sit."

Gajeel immediately sat down on one of the chairs, the girls warily doing the same.

"My name is Éclair. May I know yours?" She asked as she twirled the stone in her hand.

"Gajeel." The man grunted, then motioned to each girl sitting on either side of him with his thumb. "Lucy. Yukino."

Eclair hummed. "Travelers of exile with no destination."

Lucy's eyes widened. "Who are you?"

Éclair's eyes shifted to her. "I am an advisor. Some would call me a guide. Many might call me a fortune teller, but that is not entirely true." Her eyes shifted back to Gajeel. "You seek advice; direction, and I will give you it, but it is up to you to decide which path to follow."

"What's the price of your…advice?" Lucy asked, not entirely convinced of this woman.

Holding up the stone, Éclair smiled. "Your friend has already given it."

Lucy rose an eyebrow. "That's it? That's all it takes?"

Éclair sucked in a breath through her nose and leaned her elbows on her knees. "You haven't been in the desert for long, have you?"

"What does that have to do with anything?" The blonde defended.

"Because you are still a slave to your previous luxuries. It makes you weak, untrusting, and might I add, naïve." The woman's eyes narrowed as she stared intently into the blonde girl's eyes. "But there is something inside of you that makes you different from people I have seen before."

"…What's that?" Lucy asked warily, the woman's eyes seemed almost hypnotic.

"You hold love in your heart. Someone from before your exile. It gives you hope. You hope to see him again."

Lucy's mouth dropped open. "How…?"

Éclair leaned back in her chair. "They say the eyes are the window to the soul, but I've learned they are a reflection of the heart." She sighed as the girl just continued to stare at her. "You have not paid for this advice, but just this once I will indulge. Keep that hope inside of you; for hope is the best survivor." Her eyes then shifted to Gajeel, who stiffened. "You long for a sense of home. Something reliable and a place to belong. Be careful, that makes you far too trusting, and possibly desperate." She sighed and clutched the stone in her hand. "I know what it is you seek. Too many want the same thing, yet so few have ever found it."

Gajeel just grunted. "But it's my choice."

"That it is." She mused. "There is a man in the far eastern desert. Rumor has it he is starting his own capitol, his own country. His name is Zeref, and they say his connections stretch into the capitol itself. You may find that he is very cooperative when he gets what he wants."

Gajeel hummed. "I'm assuming that's path number one."

"Correct." She smirked. "There is also a man in the far western desert, ruler of the raiders, and king of destruction. Strike a deal with him and you will have the ultimate protection, no matter your endeavors. His name is Acnologia, but not many are successful in capturing his undivided attention. Though that may be a blessing."

"Excuse me?" They all looked at Yukino. "If you don't mind me asking, how has this camp not been attacked by the raiders? It has an amazing amount of supplies."

"As I said before, strike a deal with Acnalogia, and you are given ultimate protection. Though no deals are given lightly." She then stood up and gestured for them to leave. "That is my advice to you. I wish you luck in whichever path you chose."

When they were out of earshot, Lucy grabbed Gajeel's arm and glared at him. "What are you trying to do? Are you really going to seek out one of those men?"

Gajeel pushed her arm off of him and returned her glare. "Yer damn right I am. I've spent too long in this god forsaken desert. I want more, I want a purpose. I'm tired of going each day with the highlight being living another day. I don't care what you and sprinkling sunshine do, but this is what I'm doing."

He stomped away from them, and Lucy looked at Yukino. She stared at her for a long time, before Yukino smiled and shrugged. "It's not like I have anything else to do."

Lucy sighed as Yukino walked after Gajeel. She supposed they were both right. The only thing they were currently living for, was living. Having a goal, having a reason _to_ live, made her feel almost…elated. She smiled and ran to catch up with the two. Besides, she couldn't let her friends do this alone.

Gajeel side-glanced her when she caught up to him. "Tagging along?"

Lucy smiled up at him. "You bet. So, East or West?"

He smirked at her and put his hand on her head. "East."

* * *

 **I finally thought of a plot. Hello, here we go.**

 **I love you guys. Hope the timeline is a bit easier to grasp now. Love you! Muah!**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Nineteen-year-old Lucy giggled as she spotted Natsu victory dancing to himself in the middle of one of the corridors. The people walking by just eyed him warily before shrugging and continuing on; they were used to the pink-haired fellow's odd behavior.

"Natsu, what are you doing?" She giggled out as she neared him.

Hearing her voice, his movements froze, and his face morphed into a look a disbelief. It seemed as if he had just remembered something horrible.

"Natsu?" She frowned as she bent forward to look into his eyes.

When his eyes finally connected to hers, she could see a deep fear in them, and it made her heart rate pick up and her eyebrows scrunch in concern. "What's wrong?" She whispered as she gently placed her hand on his arm.

Her touch seemed to jolt him back into focus. "L-Lucy…"

"Natsu, you're scaring me." Her eyebrows pinch upwards and her lower lip trembled slightly.

Natsu closed his eyes a took a deep breath, before he grabbed her hand. "Let's go to the roof."

His voice held urgency, and as she was dragged behind him up to the roof, Lucy couldn't help but feel fear crawl through every vein in her body.

By the time Natsu opened the door to the roof, a tear managed to slide down her cheek, and when he finally turned to look at her, his eyes widened in panic. "No, no, no, don't cry!" He grabbed her face in both of his hands and wiped her tears with his thumbs. His face was pained, and it only served to make her cry harder.

"you're scaring me, Natsu." She whimpered. "Please don't tell me what I think you are."

He closed his eyes and placed his forehead against hers, her shaky hands coming up to grip his wrists. When he opened his eyes, a tear slid down his own cheek, and he whispered. "I passed."

Her tears stopped, her arms going slack as her face fell into a blank canvas. Her entire world was just ripped out from beneath her, and she could feel her legs wanting to give out as well. Before she could fall, she was crushed into Natsu's chest as he squeezed her tight; jaw and eyes clenched as he placed his hand over her head.

"I'm sorry." He hissed out. "I'm so sorry."

"W-Why are you sorry?" She whispered into his shoulder as she stared at the door to the roof. "This is what you've been working so hard for. C-Congratulations."

He squeezed her tighter and buried his face in the crook of her neck, letting his tear slid down her skin. Her own hands slowly came up to rest on the backs of his shoulders, her face pressing closer to him.

"How long?" She whispered.

"Three days." Was his choked out reply.

She whimpered, and he squeezed her even tighter.

Nothing else was said as they stayed there on the roof. Each knew why the other was sad, and each knew why this had to happen. They only hoped that they would see each other again.

* * *

Lucy sighed as she laid her head on Gajeel's shoulder; them both watching Yukino practice her sword skills. "She's pretty good."

Gajeel only grunted in reply as he popped a berry into his mouth.

It had been a week since they set out in their journey. They had been fortunate to find a good amount of food and water, and Yukino had even been able to slice a few cacti in half courtesy of Gajeel.

"Ya know, ya never did say how you got exiled."

Lucy remained silent, only shifting closer to the man acting as a heat source.

Gajeel sighed and popped another berry in his mouth. "So, who's this special someone from back then?"

Her gaze left Yukino's perfect battle form to stare at the ground. "His name Is Natsu…"

Gajeel shifted to look at the girl on his shoulder. "Love 'im?"

When she nodded, he wrapped his arm around her shoulder, and she snaked her arms around his waist. He was the best cuddle buddy, though she would never tell him that to his face. "He's in the Capitol now."

"So, he made it, huh?"

She nodded with a sad smile. "He did." After a moment of silence, she looked up at him. "What about you? You got anyone special?"

He snorted. "Nah. Who the hell would love a guy like me." He hissed when she squeezed him too tight. "The hell woman?"

Her glare was hard. "If you ever say that again, I'll take my detached metal pinkie and shove it somewhere very unpleasant."

He swallowed and nodded, warily eyeing the girl as she put her head back on his shoulder. As he looked back at a panting Yukino, an unfamiliar warmth spread through his chest.

A sharp yelp of pain from Yukino had the both on their feet in an instant.

"Yuki?!"

They both quickly ran over to see what was wrong. She was kneeling on the ground with her hand cradling her arm. In the corner of her eyes she saw something slither away, and her eyes widened in horror. "Gajeel!"

Said man look at where the blonde was pointing, and a curse slipped out of his mouth when he saw a snake slithering away; no doubt what had just happened.

"Yuki, let me see." Lucy demanded as she crouched in front of the girl.

"I-I don't want to see it." The girl whimpered as her teeth clenched in pain.

Lucy ignored Gajeel's frantic pacing behind the girl and made Yuki look at her. "You don't have to look, but I need to."

The girl nodded and closed her eyes as she released the grip on her arm.

Lucy was glad that the girl wasn't looking, because she knew her facial expression would have made her panic. There were two puncture wounds on the inside of her forearm, and her veins were already turning purple, starting from the bite.

Lucy looked up at Gajeel for help, but the man was looking at the bite in completely shock and horror. When his eyes made contact with hers, a tear fell out of her eye. His eyes were defeated, and she knew that there was nothing they would be able to do.

* * *

 **Thank you guys for being patient with me! My life is crazyyyy right now. But I will never give up on my stories, they will happen eventually. Thank you soooo much for your support even though my update time has been beyond horrible.**

 **I love you guys soo much!**


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